Kingdom Hearts: Voices of Silence
by Nocturne Symphony
Summary: Xehanort has finally done it. Twelve vessels have taken a seat at Where Nothing Gathers. All but one remains- Xehanort's Voice, imprisoned deep in the Dwelling Place of Voices. Now Sora must stop a new Xehanort from escaping his prison, but how can he when the ones asking for help won't let him fight?
1. Prelude

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or Final Fantasy characters. They respectively belong to Square Enix and Disney.

I do, however, own any original Nocturne Symphony Characters and the concept of the Voice.

**Author's Note**: So, yeah... This is my first fanfiction I've ever written. And hopefully my only.  
So this story takes place after the events of KH:3D, and I plan to try to make this as canonical as possible and within the concepts of the series. That said, we all know who the main villain here is, so surprise!

That said, enjoy! (And sorry that the first thing you read is a poem.)

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**Kingdom Hearts: Nocturne Symphony**

Prelude:

"The Darkened Journey"

_I tread upon a darkened ground_

_As black as Man is blind,_

_Unaware of what may be,_

_And fearing what I'll find._

_But through the darkness, in the depths,_

_Among the brush and trees,_

_Laid a light as bright as day_

_That put my mind at ease._

_And through the brush and past the trees,_

_The light grew brighter still._

_I rushed on through to seek the thing_

_That rekindled my lost will. _

_Yet as I caught what fueled my hopes, _

_What returned but fearsome dark. _

_In my hand, a lightning bug_

_Had dimmed its fooling spark. _

_But soon that light returned again, _

_And darkness disappeared. _

_This ally I held in my hand_

_Defeated what I feared. _

_So on my darkened journey, then, _

_This bug shall be my friend. _

_We'll battle darkness side by side_

_Until this journey's end._


	2. Overture

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and Disney characters and/or concepts do not belong to me.

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the long chapter. Chapters 1 and 2 are expository, so it's gonna be a while before anything happens. ^-^'

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Chapter 1: Overture

His Majesty held a look of concern as he recollected his memories. Pluto gave a soft whine when the sound of his master's heavy sigh broke the complacent silence in the study. With Master Xehanort's plan on the imminence, there was little time for relaxation. There was a battle to be won, and a world to be saved. But with the serious Riku as a Keyblade Master, things seemed a little less worrisome. All that was left was to gather and train the Seven Guardians of Light to battle the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness, just as Master Xehanort planned. In the dead of the night, he called out the names of his best friends from so many years ago:

"Terra. Ventus. Aqua." He breathed in deeply. "I'll find some way to get all of you back. By golly, if it means I have to sacrifice myself doing it, then I'll do it!"

Just then, a voice echoed in the night.

"Who's there!" demanded the King.

The voice grew louder. His Majesty summoned his keyblade and jumped to his feet.

Finally, the voice diminished and a Corridor of Darkness manifested in the corner of his study. King Mickey wondered who had summoned it. Maleficent? Pete? Lea? Or- God forbid- Xehanort? To his relief, it was not any of Xehanort's incarnations that entered, but a young man. But the King did not let his guard down. Now, it was more up than ever before with this new face before him. He recognized those gold eyes through the eye holes of the white venetian mask and the dark aura swirling around the stranger's masked form.

"Who are you?" the King demanded. He held up his keyblade threateningly. "You must have a good reason to come here."

The young man laughed and unmasked himself. "What, can't a guy visit His Majesty?"

"Who are you?"

"Don't repeat yourself. I hate repetition. Obviously, you're King Mickey of Disney Castle. I'm in need of help. I'm wholly aware of your situation with Master Xehanort and the World at large, as I also understand that you're under some great distress."

"You still haven't answered my question, mister!"

"Xang. I'm called Xang." The young man gave an elegant bow to the King as he masked himself. "The Composer of Darkness."

"The... 'Composer of Darkness'?"

"I have a favor to ask of you." This caught the King's attention. "It concerns Xehanort."

Sora blinked once before realizing he was at the Station of Awakening, drifting down towards the stained glass pillar. The surface of the pillar depicted an image of himself, with his eyes open and the emblem of King Mickey and Kingdom Hearts. His friends- Kairi, Riku, Donald, and Goofy- were cameos on his station. His feet gently landed and the surface of the pillar gleamed brightly in a strong white light. He found himself on a new station, one that was not his own. This one depicted a different person and a different emblem. This new station had a more malevolent feel about it. Be it the colors or the emblem. But the eyes seemed as though he was looking right at him.

Sora awoke with a start. His heart was racing and his hands was clammy. But the feeling was quickly replaced with astonishment. He looked around and noticed that the room he found himself in was not his own.

"Finally awake, I see."

A masked woman leaned casually against the door frame. Her golden eyes were clearly visible throw her cobalt blue venetian mask. Sora tried to leap to his feet, but he soon discovered he was bound by the ankle to the bed.

The woman laughed and turned her head out the door behind her. "Aren't you glad I chained the baby boy up, Xiako?"

"Exalda!" Sora heard the feminine voice cry out. "That isn't what Xang told you to do! He said to greet him kindly when he wakes up! What part of chaining him to the bed and laughing at his face is kind?!"

"See, if I hadn't chained him to the bed, he'd have wiped me out!"

"Well, don't look so pleased yet! What if he doesn't trust us anymore? Wha- Damn. It's not like he trusts us to begin with..."

"Exactly. Why not start things off cautiously?"

"Well, while you had to be cautious about his reaction, you _did_ manage to make it harder to gain his trust."

"Quiet, Xeptre!"

Sora watched on as the three voices squabbled on about the fact he was bound to the bed. While they seemed less dangerous, he certainly can't trust a place he just found himself bound in.

"Hey!" Sora called out. "Can you guys at least tell me where I am?"

Exalda went silent for a moment and just stared at the boy blankly.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Excuse me, Exalda." A smaller girl pushed past Exalda and bowed furiously in apology. "I'm Xiako, No. 5 of Nocturne Symphony. I'm also lead singer and the one in charge of training the Muses of the Amphitheater. This rude lady here is No. 3, Exalda. She's the Concertmaster and the one in charge training the Strings. Over in- Xeptre, get in here already!"

Sora was amazed by the big burly man who had stepped in. His body was large and tall, but his face had the look of a gentle giant.

"Don't worry. Xeptre is a big teddy bear. He's No. 6 and the lead guitarist. You kinda get the picture. He's the one in charge of the guitarists."

Sora looked at the three of them. They each wore all black and their styles greatly contrasted each other. Xiako dressed cutely in a lolita attire. Exalda dressed in shorts and thigh-high boots. Xeptre's was simpler. A black jacket and slacks was all that stood out.

"So, why am I here? You don't look like Organization members. Actually I think I've already met them all- all but one, I mean."

Just then, the atmosphere tensed up. Exalda's expression turned from cocky to malicious and Xiako and Xeptre immediately held her back from laying a punch on Sora.

"Don't EVER mention those goddamned sons of bitches again! You hear me?!"

Sora defensively inched back. If Exalda's words were venom, he had it coming for prodding her rattle.

Xiako patted Exalda's head lightly and set on a chair in the corner. "I'm sorry, but please don't mention the Organization or Xehanort around us. Ever."

"Why-"

"And..." Xeptre interrupted. "Don't ask why. Please."

The mood of the setting changed far too drastically. Sora hummed in resignation and flopped back down on his bed."

Xiako continued on with her introduction.

"And as to where you are, you are in the Moonlit Amphitheater. It's where the Voices dwell. Or at least the Contented."

"Voices?"

"You see," Xeptre explained, "Voices are complicated in the way that we don't exist like Heartless and Nobodies and Unversed and Dream Eaters do. We exist by being the voices of people's hearts. We're the dreams, the ambitions, the hopes, the fears... the despairs, the agonies..."

"But there are all sorts of Voices!" Xiako chimed in before Xeptre could continue on. "We all start out the same, as orbs of light in the Moonlit Amphitheater. If the heart we belong to have something it really, really wants, we become as the Heartless and Nobodies do- We take on the form of the Whole we had come from. So far, only the Muted are the ones who can take on human forms."

"Muted," Xeptre continued, "are one of three types of Voices. There are those like, the Muted. We are the desire that the heart can never have. Ever heard of the phrase, 'What the heart wants, can't have'? That's what we are. We're the longing desire of the heart. It's a hopeless desire, but the heart aches to have it.

"And then the others. There are the Harmonies which are the eager and virtuous desires; and the Dissonances, the opposite of that: the more sinful and helpless desires. They're always at odds, so we Muted have to make sure they don't break out into a miniature civil war."

Exalda sighed and seemed to have regained her composure.

"But Voices don't die unless their ambitions fade away into memory. There's one particular voice that is stronger than the rest of us. And it seems his heart had separated into thirteen pieces. Meaning, he has thirteen copies of his own Voice. And I'm going to let you guess who that is. Go ahead; I won't beat your face in this time."

Sora thought for a moment and recalled the events that had happened earlier in his journey. His eyes widened in horror as he realized who Exalda was referring to.

"Xehanort."

"That's right. We're all familiar with that son of a bitch. But it seems that he's gonna be a real big pain in the ass real soon."

"But with two Organization XIII, that would mean that we'd have to face twenty-six Xehanorts!"

"But there's two dilemmas here. One is that your Xehanort is collecting thirteen hallow dolls where he'll place his heart. Our dilemma is that his Voices are going to grant him his last vessel."

"The upside is that there's an semi-permeable barrier dividing Xehanort from us," explained Xiako.

"The downside, however," continued Xeptre, "is that Xehanort's gonna find a way to bust through that barrier, semi-permeable or not."

Sora lost track at the mentioning of a big word. "Semi-perm...eable?"

"It means only certain things can go through, ding-dong!" Exalda scolded. "The only one

that can pass through the barrier is Xang. After all, he _is_ the one who set up the barrier."

"Xang?" Sora inquired.

Xiako jumped right in.

"Xang Bal, the Director of Nocturne Symphony, which is what Xang named our group. Nocturne Symphony is a group of eleven Mutes who keep order within the Dwelling Place of Voices. Xang has given up his omnipotent power that controls this world when he sealed Xehanort's Voice. Xang had to start off from the beginning of his life cycle, as a basic Voice."

"He did that just to contain Xehanort?"

"You see, all Voices start off the same, an aimless orb of light wandering about the Amphitheater. When a child finally develops a distinct personality, it reflects when a Voice takes on a more solid form, though not human. Their personality determines what instrument that Voice will play. But it's a completely different story for Mutes. We were created in the form of our Hearts' bodies."

"So how were you able to tell what Xehanort's ambitions were?"

"Well, when Xehanort's ambitions took a turn for the worst, it was reflected when Xehanort's Voice switched instruments. He shelved his own violin and stole Xang's Dark Violin. That violin was a half of two things that allowed Xang to control this world. Xang built this place with that violin and his musical score. With his musical score, he could compose pieces that could change reality if played to his intentions. But that violin did just the opposite. It could create such violent music that could destroy almost everything in its path. Play the Devil's chord and you've got yourself a toppled mountain. But the one thing it can't destroy is the barrier Xang created. When Xehanort's Voice stole that violin, Xang forced Xehanort into a corner of the Dwelling Place of Voices and separated him from everyone else. He had been there, furiously playing the violin over and over, devising new rhythms and melodic lines, hoping one of them could break through the barrier."

"None of them worked, though. Right? I mean if that violin can't bust through the barrier, then it's all good, right?"

Sora was hopeful. Xehanort had been one tricky bastard since the beginning of his quest, manipulating people to his own intention and caring nothing except for his own nefarious plot to seek out Kingdom Hearts.

"Like I said, Xehanort's heart split into thirteen different pieces, so too did his Voice. Meaning he now has thirteen different minds creating more and more songs. He'll find the one eventually. And when he does, we'll have to prepare for the worst. Once that melody has broken through the barrier, there's no way to re-contain it."

Sora spent his day musing to himself about the situation. From his bed, he could see a part of the amphitheater's surrounding through the window. The amphitheater was high above a grassy meadow that glistened with dew under the soft moonlight, which gave it a shine unlike in the worlds he had seen. The dark sky was illluminated by a single moon that hovered above the world benevolently.

"Wait- Is that Kingdom Hearts!?"

Sora almost leaped to his feet, but before he could try, the chains restricted him. He looked again, and was sure by the shape of the moon. Kingdom Hearts! Here, of all places! But if he was where Kingdom Hearts resided, then that would mean Xehanort would eventually find it here, too.

"Now, don't get too excited, Sora."

Another masked man entered his room, but unlike the others, he dressed far more formally and seemed younger than the rest yet still older than Sora. The young man unbound Sora from his bed and took a seat next to him.

"I'm Xang Bal, the Director of the Amphitheater."

Sora gaped at the young man. He was prettier than he expected. He was so much younger than the rest of this group of strangers, but still noticeably older than himself. It was hard to swallow the fact that someone like him is the leader and ruler of this world.

Xang's face dropped slightly in concern. "What's wrong, Sora?"

Sora smiled it off and shook out of his reverie. "Nothing. It's just you're younger than I expected." Sora pointed out of the window. "Why is Kingdom Hearts here? I thought it disappeared into the darkness?"

"That isn't Kingdom Hearts," Xang laughed. "It's an afterimage. Here, Kingdom Hearts still remains."

"But every world I've been to, Kingdom Hearts is gone."

"But this world, time does not move. You are in the Dwelling Place of Voices, a world where time stops and nothing ages. Voices are born and then they sleep. They never die." Xang stood from his chair and looked out the window. "Do you know why you're here, Sora?"

"To help you defeat Xehanort's Voices, of course!" stated Sora as if it were only a matter of fact. "Don't worry! I've dealt with him a lot before. I'm sure I can handle him!"

There was an awkward silence before Xang exploded in laughter.

"You're not here to defeat Xehanort, Sora! You're here to help return peace back into the Dwelling Place!"

"What's the difference?"

"The difference is that you cannot defeat our Xehanort. As difficult as it is for someone like you, who had fought Xehanort a multitude of times, this is not a battle you will win. Enter the battlefield, and you will be torn apart."

"But-"

Xang kept talking, as if to prevent Sora from giving him an excuse to fight. "There are Keyholes in each world that keeps the worlds connected by sound. That is how the Moonlight Amphitheater controls the Dwelling Place. We are the Heart of the worlds, just as Kingdom Hearts is the heart of yours. Apparently, Xehanort's music is causing the Voices to change forms. Even when he's behind the barrier, Voices are running amok. I need you to silence the music entering the world by locking the worlds from the Amphitheater and the Moonlit Meadow, Xehanort's prison."

"But what about him becoming a part of the-"

"That, Sora, is a fight not of your own. I'm not sure what my symphony has told you, but know this: The Organization cannot enter here. Only a Voice can enter the Dwelling Place of Voices, or if I, the Director of the Nocturne Symphony, escort anything else here. Don't worry about the Organization. Worry about the keyholes, and my symphony and I shall worry about Xehanort's Voice."

Sora nodded in understanding. There were still so many questions he wanted to asked, but he knew he wouldn't know as much as he'd like. Sora stood from the bed and rubbed his sore arms.

Xang had one foot out the door when he asked, "Have you ever seen a symphonic performance before, Sora?"

Sora shook his head.

"Would you like to watch one?"


	3. The Lost Three

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney, thus I do not own any characters belonging to them. **

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Chapter 2: The Lost Three

Sora, astounded by the power Nocturne Symphony displayed in their performance, . Xang sat next to him, playing commenter between songs, softly explaining what they were playing and who the soloists were.

The amphitheater was large enough to hold thousands of little creatures that sat and listened. Sora was awestruck by how adorable a young Voice could be. Xang explained that the first form a Voice takes after being conceived is a basic ball of light. Then, as the person develops a personality, the orbs take on a more corporeal form: a small creature not too different from a ball with eyes, small hands and feet.

Sora stood and gave the symphony a standing ovation. Xang eventually rose and did the same. In the midst of the roar of applause, Xang led Sora towards the stage to meet the performers. It took a great effort to fight through the crowd of creatures. By the time the two had reached the stage, the amphitheater had already been cleared of its audience. All that remained were the performers.

"Sora, this is the Nocturne Symphony," Xang introduced. One by one, he pointed to the members as he named them: "Our conductor, Xander. Our concertmaster, Exalda. Our first oboist, Xayma. First trumpet, Crize. Our pianist, Xyral. Xiako, our lead vocalist and soprano. And Xeptre, our lead percussionist."

Sora greeted each of them as Xang went down the list. When Xang reached the last member, Sora noticed something was off.

"I was told there were eleven members," he explained.

"The Lost Three," Exalda said without looking at Sora. "Boy, kid. You sure know how to pluck the wrong string."

Xang sighed and conjured a tall, thin book- the manuscript he used to compose. He leafed through the pages before his face brightened when it seemed he found what he was looking for. He paced towards Exalda, who went straight to playing what the manuscript dictated.

It was an upbeat piece with a dark texture. Slow, yet fast enough to keep the piece from sounding tired. Soft, yet it swells and eases like a deep sigh. Sora listened patiently, wondering what the point of this solo performance was. Then, both Xang's manuscript the stage lit up. A stream of blue light flowed from Xang's manuscript to the stage, and three figures took form on stage.

Xitrona, the violist. Dixon, the cellist. Marx, the second violinist.

They each dressed like Xang, formal and professional. They each seemed to have an air of power and authority about them, as well as respect and earnestness. Xitrona held a gentle face, like a mother's face when looking at her cooing child. Slim, curved, and bespectacled, she was very prim and proper in her black gown. Dixon, the burliest of any of the musicians by far, had a stone-hard face that could stare daggers into your soul. His attire was a pair trousers and a tailcoat and combed his hair back neatly. But Marx had a look that was all too familiar. His eyes reminded him of the monster that had brought worlds to a peril and will bring many more if left to his inventions.

"They," Xang began, "Are the ones who you shall be fighting."

"Them?" Astounded, Sora's eyes widened. "But aren't they a part of Nocturne Symphony? Aren't they you're friends? You want me to take them down?! That's just not right!"

"Don't talk as if you know everything!" Exalda scolded.

"It's alright Exalda," Xang eased. "Like you said, he doesn't know. They're defects from the symphony who chose to seek a way to free Xehanort from his prison in hopes to escape their own: the Dwelling Place of Voices. Along with myself, they were what made the Dwelling Place of Voices what it is. We were once called the Night Barons, and with the music we made, we forged the seven worlds that made up the Dwelling Place from memory. I with my dark score and violin leveled the worlds and created them anew. Xitrona and her cello brought light and day to the world. Dixon brought law and justice. But Marx. Marx's violin brough chaos and disorder.

"We made wonderful music together, but there were times when we were at odds with one another. Xitrona was a dreamer who believed that there should be more consideration for the Voices. Dixon was power-mad and believed more rules and regulations must be kept and made to restrict madness and power, regardless of the Voices' opinions. Marx was beyond all of us; all he wished for was ruin and mayhem. Marx was a madman who loved to see things shatter and break. Mountains, worlds, dreams, hearts... He loved nothing but bringing about suffering."

Sora shivered as he imagined how Marx would behave.

"And it is Marx who caused the other two to follow the wrong path. Our last argument was over Xehanort's binding. Dixon wanted to destroy not just the violin, but Xehanort as well, once and for all. Xitrona believed we could recover the violin without such violence. It came to the point where no one had wanted to stay in the Dwelling Place anymore, but it was impossible. When we made this realm, I had created a barrier where the dissonances and harmonies cannot leave. I had to make it so that Marx cannot leave as well, and that meant banning nearly all the twelve Mutes out there. And as for Marx-"

"Let me guess," Sora interrupted. He looked at the faces of the symphony and noticed the twitch in their faces every time anyone mentioned the name Marx. "Marx wanted to have the violin for himself."

"To destroy and ruin the Dwelling Place. Each of the Lost Three want to free Xehanort. And Xehanort's music is stirring up the Voices. I need you to visit the seven worlds and put an end to the Lost Three's ambitions. Can you do that? Leave Xehanort to us."

Sora nodded. The mission was simple enough, but what another complication made itself known. "But if Voices can't die, how can I stop them?"

"You'll have to silence them," Xiako explained. "You can do that by locking the will of the Voice. By locking their will, you lock the Heart's desire. And without that desire, a Voice is powerless."

"I get it. So, silence the worlds and stop the Lost Three! Don't worry guys! I'll handle this quick!"

Sora held a confident look on his face and summoned his keyblade. A keyhole appeared into the night sky above the Amphitheater. Kingdom Hearts shone radiantly as the turmoil slowly edged closer to chaos. Sora aimed a beam of light through the keyhole, unlocking the first path into the Dwelling Place.

As Sora disappeared, Exalda approached Xang.

"Do you really think he can take on Marx?" She asked.

Xang gave her an assuring smile and said, "Not alone. Voices have the most peculiar power of empowerment."


	4. The Witch's Tower

**Disclaimer: **I've said it twice, and I refuse to repeat myself. Disclaimers are in the first two entries! Read 'em, memorize 'em, don't forget 'em! Sheesh!

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Chapter 3: The Witch's Tower

Sora found himself standing before a tall tower as high as the great mountain behind it. He looked up and was unable to see the top. Even on his back the end seemed so impossible to reach.

A cackle exploded from nearby and Sora flinched when a person brushed past him. Whoever it was didn't seem to notice Sora, or just didn't care. Sora watched as the person- who he quickly recognized as a grotesque old witch- stopped at the base of the tower and inhaled before calling: "Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down you hair!" A golden rope fell from an unseen point high above. The witch grasped the rope and tied it around her waist and wrist, and scaled the high tower. Despite the height, the old witch climbed the tower rather quickly, already a dot against the tower's side. Eventually, the rope rose, as if being gathered back up again.

Sora, confused by what he saw, ran up to the tower and attempted to call out for information.

"Hey! Can you help me?" he yelled.

No response.

"Hey! Can you help!" he yelled again.

Sora listened carefully for a response. He could hear something like a whistle growing louder and louder. Before he realized it, he felt something light crash on his head into a gooey mess.

"Ah- Geez! What- an EGG?!"

Whoever it was up there obviously did not want to help. Sora did his best to scoop off the egg from his hair, but the smell remained. He gave a small pout, wishing he have some sort of clue to finding the keyhole.

"You're not a Voice."

Sora's gaze shot up and met the gaze of a familiar face. Gentle ruby eyes glistened as they stare curiously at Sora.

"Xitrona!" Sora yelped before he hurriedly summoned his Kingdom Key to his side.

"Put that down, sir!" she ordered. She waved her hand and the Kingdom Key vanished. "I'm not one for violence, and I have no intention to hurt you."

She guided Sora away from the tower and into a nearby town. As she led the boy through the streets and alleys, she simply chatted with Sora.

"Who are you?"

"Sora!" he introduced.

"Sora... Again. You are not a Voice. What is a complete being doing in the Dwelling Place? This is a realm impossible to enter or to escape. Xang must have brought you here."

"Er, yeah. He wanted me to silence the worlds from Xehanort's violin playing and-"

"And to deter the ambitions of mine and Dixon's. I understand, but I have no intention of stopping. I need to recover Xang's violin before Dixon, or else he'll-"

Xitrona failed to finish her sentence. Her eyes trembled fearfully. When they finally reached where Xitrona was leading Sora, she waved him off.

"Here is where you'll find the knight. To help you in your quest, I'll tell you something helpful:

"Xang has always loved riddles and puzzles. The worlds he created are reminiscent to the storybooks of where his completed self once lived. To find the keyholes, complete the tales and they will reveal themselves to you. And one more hint: 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down you long hair!'"

That was the same words the old witch called out before the rope had fallen. Sora thanked Xitrona before she vanished away in a mist of darkness.

Sora turned to the door. Xitrona had led him to a pub. The front was weathered and worn, and the windows were on its hinges. The light of day made it easy to peer through the windows, and Sora laughed nervously at the very notion of entering a dangerous looking place such as this pub. Jovial folk music danced in the air, fighting through the whoops and clatter of the shady patrons. He forced himself through the rickety gates. It must have been too sudden an entrance as the entire pub simmered to an eerie silence. Sora chuckled and waved nervously before awkwardly making his way to the counter.

"What are you doing here?" questioned the bartender. "Kids aren't allowed here. Men only, kid."

"What's with everyone calling me a kid?" Sora muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" the bartender barked, causing Sora to flinch. "Get outta here, or I'll kick you outta here!"

Sora gulped but kept his nerve. "I need to know about the tower back in the woods. There's this witch there and I need to know how to get to the top."

The bartender's face went slack before cracking a sly grin. "The tower, you say. I guess that changes _everything_. Tell you what, kick the tar outta our toughest guy, and maybe I'll tell you a thing or two."

"Now, you're just playing hard to get!" interrupted a man on the other side of he counter. His face was hooded, but his size was incredible. "Give the kid a break!"

"Hey, he wanted to know more about the Witch's Tower. I'm giving him a challenge."

"Don't worry, mister!" Sora piped. He put on his brightest smile and summoned his keyblade, much to everyone's surprise. "I can handle this!"

The floor quaked and rocked. Patrons scurry out of the way for a the largest man he had seen yet. _They just keep getting bigger!_ thought Sora before jumping to his feet. The large man punched a large fist heavily into an open palm. The sound reminded Sora of bones breaking.

"Meet Fido, the bar's friendly neighborhood dog!"

Fido displayed his strength when he punch the lights out of an unsuspecting patron. The poor victim flew across the bar against the wall, and left an impression of his pathetic state.

"Friendly?!" Sora exclaimed to himself.

Sora braced himself as Fido cleared the floor by hurling almost every piece of furniture he could find. Sora dodged each of them, and looked for an opening. When Fido ran out of furniture to toss, he readied a fist and charged like an angered bull towards his miniscule prey. Sora yelped and ducked to the side.

"What's wrong boy!" the bartender mocked. "Can't land a punch? Or, what? That oversized key of yours supposed to go up his ass?"

Sora didn't let it get to him, and instead waited until Rufus came charging once more. When he did, Sora took the chance, quickly aimed his keyblade forward, and watched as Fido smiled naïvely at Sora's defensive.

"Blizzard!" Sora cast.

The keyblade launched a shard of ice towards the hulking brute. Fido, in his mad desire for destruction, blindly kept on charging. In his mind, he thought he could take the blow as if it were nothing and break Sora's back. But when the shard hit him, the ice spread across his body, completely immobilizing him.

Sora acted fast before the ice melted away. He charged for Fido and dealt a combination of blows to the back. When he finished, he leaped back and watched as the ice shattered off of Firdo's body.

The patrons watched in awe, and the bartender cried out, "Snap out of it you useless dog! You gonna let a kid get the better of you! Kick his ass or I ain't gonna feed you for a week!"

Fido's eyes went red and his veins popped out. Sora readied himself again. Fido charged again, this time faster than usual. Sora ducked away and tried to keep as much distance as possible. But Fido wouldn't let that happen; he kept charging and gradually closing the distance between him and Sora. Sora paused for a second and aimed his keyblade again for the charging brute. But this time, he was going in for an attack. When Fido was close enough, he flung his keyblade before Fido could get close enough to deal any damage. His blade made contact and boomeranged about the brute. Fido's stampede came to sudden halt and he staggered for a while in a daze. Sora made no hesitation and leaped in for a final combination of attacks. Fido fell, knocked out and down for the count.

The bartender stuttered for something to say to the boy, but conceded to defeat.

"There's a witch who lives in town. She always goes to the tower everyday. I don't know how to get up there, but there's some password you need for the rope to appear. Is there anything else you wanna know?"

Sora remembered why he was brought here. "I'm also looking for a knight."

"That would be me," said the stranger from before. He removed his hood and revealed a strong handsome face. "I am Grieger, the knight you seek. You wish to seek a way into the tower? I seek a way into the maiden's heart who lives at the tower's top."

"Awesome! But do you know the password?"

"I do. Like the Witch, I go by her tower every day. I memorized her words before she climbs to the top. I've called out every day, only to have an egg drop on my head in protest."

Sora laughed when he remembered the same thing happened to him.

"So, let's get going!"

Grieger nodded and followed Sora out of the pub and into the forest. When they found the tower, they met a horrible sight. The meadow and trees around the tower burned to ashes. From a mile in radius, the entire meadow leveled to dirt.

Grieger trotted forward down the hill and looked around. "What has happened?"

"It was just fine when I got here earlier today!"

Suddenly, a large shadow circled around them. High above, a dragon flew around the tower grounds and breathed a steady stream of fire.

"Go, my fiery Blare!" a creaky voice echoed from above. "Roast the intruders alive!"

The dragon roared and dragged the stream towards the duo. Grieger and Sora split up, one to distract the dragon, and the other to attack it. Grieger drew his sword and shield and protected himself from the dragon's fire. Sora, behind the Blare, immediately cast a flurry of Blizzard spells at the beast. Sora waited and dodged the streams of fire until he charged up enough energy for another round. Grieger took advantaged of the distracted beast and cast a heavy Thunder spell that sent the Blare spiral down to the ground. When the Blare rose to its feet, Sora immediately began casting spell after spell until the beast dissipated in a smoke of darkness.

"NO!" that same voice cried from above. Sora and Grieger looked up and saw the old witch fall from the top of the tower. Sora tried to act fast, but Grieger stopped him. Before the witch could crash into the ground, she, like the Blare, dissipated.

Grieger walked up to the base of the tower and called out, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down your long hair!" And a long rope fell from the sky and the knight began scaling the high tower.

Sora sighed and understood what Xitrona said. _Xang has always loved puzzles..._ _To find the keyholes, complete the tales and they will reveal themselves to you._

The tower gleamed brightly and a keyhole appeared on the side of the tower. Sora aimed his keyblade towards the tower and launched a beam of light to silence the world.


	5. Grimm Notes

**Disclaimer:** Must I repeat myself?! I hate repetition!

* * *

Chapter 3.5: Grimm Notes

Xang sat in his study as he finished another piece for the symphony to play. He could hear the heavy music of the Dwelling Place in his study. He smiled when the music was slightly interrupted and its melody changed into that of something a little more lighter.

Crixe barged into Xang's study with a look expectation in his eyes. "Was that-"

"Yes. It is the music of the Dwelling Place changing. Sora's silenced one world, and made it as light as air." Xang closed his manuscript and handed it Crixe. "Give this to Xander. Tell him to spend tonight's rehearsal on this."

Crixe took the manuscript. "What is it called this time?"

"Grimm in g minor, movement one: The Darknened Journey."


End file.
